MILO OF CROTONA
LEGENDARY USE OF
THE OVERLOAD PRINCIPLE
The Story of Milo
This famous athlete increased his strength by lifting a small calf several times a week. His muscles became
stronger, allowing him to lift more weight. Miloʼs use of the overload principle made him the only person in his
village to have the strength to lift a full size bull.
THE BODY WILL BECOME
STRONGER AND FUNCTION
BETTER IF INCREASED
DEMANDS ARE PLACED
UPON IT.
PRINCIPLE
OF SPECIFICITY
YOU NEED TO :
PERFORM SPECIFIC EXERCISES TO
IMPROVE SPECIFIC LEVELS OF PHYSICAL
FITNESS IN SPECIFIC BODY PARTS.
Definition of a Repetition: The number of times a weight is
lifted through a full range of
motion.
Definition of a Set:
A group of repetitions.
Muscular Strength
How much WEIGHT can
be lifted one time
Muscular Endurance
How LONG you can lift the
weight over time
Strength
High Weight with Low Reps
(4-8 reps)
•  Lower weight with high reps (12-20
reps)
Strength with Bulk
High Weight with Low Reps and
more sets (6 sets of 6 reps)
•  You are still working on muscular
strength when you concentrating on
muscular endurance
Frequency
( How often you exercise)
•  Number of times (x) you exercise per week.
•  Depends on individual goals and fitness level:
ex. every other day, daily, five x’s/week,
double sessions.
•  Get at least one day rest to allow your
muscles to recover.
•  Benefits start at 2x’s/week, working a muscle
group every other day.
Intensity ( How hard you exercise)
•  Difficulty level at which you exercise per session. Hard enough to demand more effort than usual.
•  Depends on individual goals and fitness level
ex. light, moderate, heavy
•  Perceived exertion scale ranges from: 6-20
18-20= all out effort! Know your body & adjust
•  The last few reps of the set should be challenging
Time (How Long you exercise)
•  Duration- How long you exercise per session. Long enough to demand more effort than usual.
•  Depends on individual goals and fitness level
ex. short, moderate, long
•  Sustained activity and/or endurance
Know
your own body & adjust.
(a) Categories of Muscle Tissue; (b) Tendons and How They
Attach to the Bone
Cardiac Muscle Smooth Muscle Skeletal Muscle
(a)
Muscle fiber (muscle cell)
Tendon
Tendon
Muscle
(b)
Bone
Bone
STRENGTH VARIES ACCORDING TO
THE ANGLE OF THE JOINT
METHODS OF DEVELOPING MUSCULAR FITNESS
ISOMETRIC ISOTONIC
Force is against
a stationary
object
(No movement)
Weight is moved
through a range
of motion
(Free weights)
ISOKINETIC
Resistance is
adjusted to
the force
(Nautilus machines)
Muscle Groups and Exercises
Muscle Groups and Exercises
Muscle Groups and Exercises
Muscle Groups and Exercises
EXERCISE MACHINES
ADVANTAGES
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
GOOD FOR BEGINNERS
SAFER THAN FREE WEIGHTS
DONʼT NEED SPOTTERS
HAS VARIABLE RESISTANCE
REQUIRES LESS SKILL THAN FREE WEIGHTS
EASY TO MOVE FROM ONE EXERCISE TO THE NEXT
DISADVANTAGES
• 
• 
• 
• 
EXPENSIVE TO BUY
EXPENSIVE TO MAINTAIN
INAPPROPRIATE FOR PERFORMING DYNAMIC
MOVEMENTS
ONLY OFFERS LIMITED NUMBER OF EXERCISES
FREE WEIGHTS
ADVANTAGES
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
ALLOW DYMANIC MOVEMENTS
DEVELOP CONTROL OF WEIGHT
ASSISTS IN STRENGTH DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SIDES
ALLOWS GREATER VARIETY OF EXERCISE
LESS EXPENSIVE TO BUY AND MAINTAIN
DISADVANTAGES
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
NOT AS SAFE AS MACHINES
REQUIRES A SPOTTER
NEED MORE SKILL TO USE
POSSIBLE EQUIPMENT CLUTTER
MAY CAUSE BLISTERS AND CALLUSES
SAFETY FACTORS FOR WEIGHT TRAINING
1. Warm-up to prepare the muscles for heavier work load
2. Begin with an endurance program to learn lifting technique
3. Work the large muscle groups first and then smaller groups
4. Check equipment for secure locks on barbell plates
5. Keep hands dry for a comfortable grip
6. Exhale when pushing against the resistance and inhale when
lowering the weight ( donʼt hold your breath)
SAFETY FACTORS FOR WEIGHT TRAINING
7. Use correct form to prevent injury and lesson weights if technique is
not maintained during the exercise
8.  Keep weight close to the body when lifting from the floor to the chest
10.  Maintain a balance position with feet spread shoulder width apart
10.
Prevent straining the back muscles by keeping the back straight
and the hips below the shoulders
11.Take the exercise through a full range of motion to increase flexibility
12.
Muscles work in pairs at the joint. Work both sides for balance
growth
SAFETY FACTORS FOR WEIGHT TRAINING
13.
Use a two count to lift the weight and a four count to lower the
weight
14. Always execute your lifts in the same sequence so fatigue is
relatively the same throughout the workout
15.
Always use spotters (especially on the bench press to avoid
being pinned)
16.
Prevent knee injuries by avoiding deep-knee bends while
squatting. Go to sitting position or right angle
1.
A weight workout that stresses muscular strength is one
where the lifter does low weights with high repetitions.
True or False?
2.
The principle of specificity states you must do specific
exercises to improve physical fitness in specific body parts.
True or False?
3.
You should use a spotter
A. Only when lifting very heavy weights
B. Only when you are new to weightlifting
C. Whenever you are using free weights.
D. Whenever someone stronger than you is nearby
4.
A weight workout that stresses muscular endurance is one where
the lifter does low weight with high repetitions.
True or False?
5.
When strength training you should work the same muscle group:
A. everyday
B. 5 days a week
C. every other day
D. 2 days in a row
6. Repetitions (reps) are
A. the number of times you lift a weight within one set.
B. the amount of weight you lift within one set.
C. the number of different exercises you complete
D. the amount of time you spent exercising.
7.
An advantage of weight lifting using exercise weight machines is that
they:
A. are expensive to buy
B. are expensive to maintain
C. require less skill
D. require a spotter
8.
In order to safely strength train, you should:
A. Hold your breath
B. Lift as much weight as possible without worrying about form
C. Use correct form to help prevent injury
D. Assume that all equipment is safe